poets and clowns

At my meeting with educators in Dearborn, we were all wondering what to do next. How can we convince those who have the power to shape education that we had best include the hands in learning. The interesting conclusion I have come to is that reason is not enough to make change. Human beings are not all that reasonable.

Ivan Illich discusses this in Tools for Conviviality:

The transformation of learning into education paralyses man's poetic ability... Poets and clowns have always risen up against the oppression of creative thought by dogma. They expose literal-mindedness with metaphor. They demonstrate the follies of seriousness in a framework of humor. Their intimate wonder dissolves certainties, banishes fears, and undoes paralysis. The prophet can denounce creeds and expose superstitions and mobilize persons to use their lights and wits. Poetry, intuition, and theory can offer intimations of the advance of dogma against wit that may lead to a revolution in awareness.